Microfluid analyses of biological systems are widely used in medical and biological research in order to assess the mutual effects of various combinations of reagents and samples. So-called microtitre plates have been developed, which are flat plates with a plurality of wells used as small test tubes. Such microtitre plates have become a standard tool in analytical research and clinical diagnostic testing laboratories.
Prior art document WO 01/25769 discloses an array of measuring sites with integrated measuring electrodes and integrated reference electrodes formed by wafer processing technology. The electrodes are adapted to conduct a current between them by delivery of ions by one electrode and receipt ions by the other electrode. At the measurement site, a cell is held in place over an aperture having a diameter of 0.1-10 μm, the aperture being formed in a substrate, which can be made from silicon, plastics, pure silica and other glasses such as quarts and pyrex or silica doped with one or more dopants selected from the group of Be, Mg, Ca, B, Al, Ga, Ge, N, P, As. Silicon is said to be the preferred substrate material.
International patent publication WO 03/089564 discloses a substantially planar substrate, i.e. a chip for use in patch clamp analysis of the electrophysiological properties of a cell membrane comprising a glycocalyx, wherein the substrate comprises an aperture having a wall defining the aperture, the wall being adapted to form a gigaseal upon contact with the cell membrane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,961 discloses a measuring device, which permits position of cells and vesicles on planar carriers. The measuring device includes an Si/SiO2 chip, which can be produced from commercially available Si wafers.
The dimensions of silicon chips for use in microfluid analysis systems have hitherto been governed, at least partly, by limitations in methods of manufacture there for. In particular, technologies for cutting chips from silica wafers have required a certain size of the chips in order to safeguard purity of the highly sensitive test-item supporting areas of the chips.
While the above disclosures are representative of various achievements in the field of microfluidic analysis systems, a need for further development still exists. The mounting of chips to carrier plates is of particular concern to the present invention with a view to facilitating production and reducing the amount of costly material, such as silicon, used for the high-precision production of chips.